Router-Made Drawer and Door Pulls Espanola NM

You can make integrated pulls yourself using a router table and a few bits. They can be decorative or almost completely hidden. Of the four designs I'll describe for you, two require special bits, but two use ordinary bits that you may already own.

Router-Made Drawer and Door Pulls

Router-Made Drawer and Door Pulls

You can make integrated pulls yourself using a router table and a few bits. They can be decorative or almost completely hidden. Of the four designs I'll describe for you, two require special bits, but two use ordinary bits that you may already own.

Finger-Pull Door Lip

These doors have a roundover on the back and a decorative cove on the front. The roundover on the back creates just enough room for your fingers to catch hold of the door. This decorative edge treatment around the entire door complements a frame-and-panel style quite nicely. Use European-style hinges and you'll have no visible hardware.

The Bit

Specifically designed for creating pulls, this router bit has no bearing and is quite large with a diameter of 1-3/4 in. Use the bit in a router table and take three or four passes. The door shown is 3/4-in. thick, but this bit will work on doors as thick as 1-1/4 in. Be sure to test the bit on scrap pieces of wood of the same species you're working with and to experiment with different speeds. Some species will chip or splinter at one speed but may work well at a different speed.

This hidden pull is made by an ordinary cove bit. It works well on solid wood, fibercore or plywood. On fibercore and plywood, first add a 1/8-in. to 1/4-in. solid-wood edge to the panel's edges and then rout the cove. Some core will be exposed after routing, but it will be hidden after the door is installed.

The Bit

For this cabinet, I used a 1/2-in. cove bit with a bottom bearing. This bit works equally well in a handheld router or a router table. Leave about a 1/4-in. flat lip on the front of the panel.

Source: Oldham, (888) 678-7278, 1/2-in. cove bit, #3164COV, $34.

Dovetail Bevel

This visible decorative pull is made using an ordinary dovetail bit. The entire length of the door's inner edge can be used as a pull. I used a shop-made template as a guide to create a circular design in the middle to complement the cabinet's modern look.

The Setup Use a router with a guide bushing to follow the template. The template can be made in whatever shape you choose.

I chose a circle to add some interest to the simple shape of the cabinet. I used a handheld router so I could easily see when the semicircle was completely cut out. When you're done routing, soften the edges slightly with sandpaper.

The Bit

This 3/4-in.-dia. dovetail bit has a 14-degree angle that leaves an easy-to-grip edge. On these 3/4-in.-thick doors, I set the bit to cut 1/2 in. deep. Any deeper than this would weaken the door's revealed back edge.